pre-release of Virtual Identity 0.4.3
Posted by rene on June 25, 2007 at 07:07 pm | Tagged as: ... ? ... , hacking , virtual id
Once again some days passed by, but a lot of things happened, so can not say I was completely lazy 
But it was time to come back to the Virtual Identity extension and repair some bugs and add some options to make all of us more happy these days. The result is the new version 0.4.3, Which is by now available as a pre-release testing and release cause some translation-work has to be done before the 'real'.
Whats new?
- added a new option to dynamically switch on / off an email signature if using a virtual identity. To use this option you have to install the switch Signature Extension . Thanks to Alex for the idea and thanks to Achim Seufert for the nice extension which i could use for this feature.
- added a feature called 'Smart Time Stamp' which simply changes the address of any new email you are going to compose by adding a epoch-timestamp in the name. This way you can use a unique address for any message you send and check where your mail addresses go. Thanks to Jens Martin for the idea.
- added an option to warn you if the mail should be sended with any stored (unchanged) identity. Valdaran had the bright idea to the From: field , Which is not really an option, to many other things are relying on this. But maybe a warning will do nearly the same nice job? Thanks to Valdaran for the idea.
- removed some old bugs, added some fresh ones Thanks to all who reported their problems.
The new version is now available for testing . Feel free to use it and report bugs and problems or help to translate the extension .
Hi Rene, thank you first for your answer and for the new version of Virtual Identity.
Rene wrote:
"... But the problem is the selection of a proper identity is not really saved, what will make this extension. I know, by the smart-reply I am a bit risky in that direction, but the selection of the appropriate (based) identity should be the responsibility of Thunderbird and I rely simply on a reasonable selection. To change this pre-selection, there are of course extensions, such as Cell Identity. "
May I describe my configuration a bit, so the problem becomes even more clear.
The Thunderbird I've configured that only a single mail account (other than the already given "Local Account") is present, and a number of mine of used outgoing SMTP server. All my identities are therefore not created merely as "alias identities" in Thunderbird Account Management.
This schonmal account management is very clear.
Mail is organized in several Thunderbird mail folders, each folder and that both incoming and sent mail (to represent conversations in threads to be able to see screenshot http://666kb.com/i/apjgo0mztu6sb7uji.png ).
This is a private and a professional directory. The private folder is all very simple, because there only a single folder assigned identity is used, which already by the extension 'Folder Account' by Christopher Eykamp is well done.
In the folder are a number of different professional identities are used. These different identities have partly different underlying e-mail addresses, which is then also no problem, because the Smart Reply is always the correct identity is selected (if the option "ignore name" at Smart Reply is enabled).
In the folder are also some professional identities are used that have only a different name but the same e-mail address. These different identities at the same address of virtual identity but of course did not differ more if the option "ignore names" is checked.
So I'm in a dilemma, "Ignore the name" option either to activate (in which case some identities, namely with the same e-mail address but different names, not recognized) - or "ignore name" but the option disable - with me but then constantly new virtual identities are created just because someone did indeed a correct e-mail address, but has a potentially allocated by himself, or used no name.
I would have loved to use the extension "Correct Identity" additionally to resolve this dilemma may be - is only "Correct Identity" in turn incompatible with the aforementioned extension "Folder account" ...
So if there were a way for Virtual Identity to create a virtual identity only if 1) a matching name * and * 2) was also no suitable e-mail address is found, then would the possible field of application of Virtual Identity mE expand substantially.
It is quite true that this is perhaps not really the original purpose of Virtual Identity. In fact, I also use it almost never * virtual * identities (except for occasional changes in the outgoing SMTP server) - but just trying to use my many existing identities or aliases possible sense, what with 'Virtual Identity' in combination with 'Folder Account' already achieved almost perfect - except for one problem described.
Phew, that was again a lot of text, sorry
- Dictation program makes it possible 
The topic of 'virtual identities' is really a hard nut to crack.
Maybe there is some point the possibility that the name information to be really smart Reply ignore only if at the same time no suitable e-mail address was found?
Thank you,
David.P
When using the Virtual Identity extension with Tbird 2.0.0.4, I get this message every minute (so long as the open compose window is):
"Account already created"
Is this known? Has it been corrected?
When I select on a virtual identity to send email with, I get an error from the smtp server:
The mail server responded: 5.5.4 ... Domain name required for sender address Remco Lam. Please verify that your email address is correct in your Mail preferences to the try again.
I've had this before with virtual identity and had to switch back to a previous version to solve it.
Diggin a little bit deeper, it seems to be be caused because virtual identity takes the address from what's in the "from" field. However, using the pulldown menu to select another email address results in the fiels from only containing "Remco Lam," so there is no in the from field.
Because of this, just sends the virtual identity Remco Lam as email address, Which is an invalid address, of course ...
Remco
First of all, congrats for this extension, it is very useful. But there is one thing that I still did not manage to configure correctly.
I receive messages from a number of mail groups, Namely from yahoogroups. In this groups, the direct receiver is marked by X-Envelope-To, and the group is addressed in the To headers.
But although I have included the X-Envelope-To headers in the your extension must recognize, it just only To recognize the one, and because of this, I reply a message in the group as it sets the sender address when group, and not mine, what makes it quite annoyable.
Any piece of advice on how to configure it so this does not happen (apart from deactivating the "fast-reply" option, of course
Thanks a lot
Hi,
I'm having a real problem with virtual identity. I've upgraded to a new computer and copied over my settings, and I can not figure out why this is happening.
Whenever I try to send an email with VID does not send the email. It worked fine on my old machine.
Here's what happens when I click send:
- A new account named "virtual Id0" appears in the background account list
- Nothing else happens.
Here's the contents of the debug window. (The last line is where it stops)
Thunderbird 2.0.0.4 (2007060411, Windows NT 5.1)
- Import Export Tools (Mboximport enhanced) {3ed8cc52-86fc-4613-9026-1.2} c1ef969da4c3
- Signature Switch {2ab1b709-ba03-4361-1.4.4 abf9-c50b964ff75d}
- Talkback talkback@mozilla.org 2.0.0.4
- Virtual Identity-{dddd428e 5ac8-4a81-9f78-276c734f75b8} 0.4.3pre
---------------------------
# # V_identity: replace MsgComposeCloseWindow
# # V_identity: adapt generic SendMessage
# # V_identity: NotifyComposeFieldsReady
# # VI_smartIdentity: msgComposeType = 0
# # VI_smartIdentity: cant get URI of former Message
# # V_identity: NotifyComposeBodyReady
# # V_identity: replace generic SendMessage (Virtual Identity activated)
# # V_identity: VIdentity_GenericSendMessage
# # VI_account: Stored virtual identity (name Avatar-X email testemail@uer.ca smtp smtp2)
# # VI_account: Stored (doFcc true fccFolder mailbox :/ / alex@mail.cyberwyre.com / Sent fccFolderPickerMode 1)
That's it.
Please let me know what is going on! Thanks
Oh, to add to the above: The error is listed as follows in the Error Console:
Error: [Exception ... "Component returned failure code: 0x80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE) [nsIMsgFolder.Delete]" nsresult: "0 × 80004005 (NS_ERROR_FAILURE)" location: "JS frame :: chrome :/ / v_identity / content / vI_account.js :: anonymous :: line 135 "data: no]
Source File: chrome :/ / v_identity / content / vI_account.js
Line: 135
Hi,
I managed to fix the bug by editing vI_account.js and removing the two lines
vI_account.account.incomingServer.rootFolder.Delete ();
on line on line 100 and 135th I'm not sure what these two lines do, but that's where it was choking, and I removed them and now it works.
Thanks!
> @ Dave: thanks for your hints with the popup-window,
> The real problem was that the description in the
> Options dialog was misleading. I changed this in
> 0.4.3pre, to use the (first, only, whatever) Identity
> Without interaction you have to activate the button
> "Use first found identity without interaction",
> So if you wish to use a dialog to choose if there
> Is more than one.
I do not think so ...
I want interaction if there's more than one match but just want it to select the matched identity if there is only one. In the last version, at least, I could not find a combination of options that would do this. The closest was selecting "open a dialogue ..." but not "ask so ..." and "use first ...". This worked * unless * my filters were reducing the set of matches to just one. In that case, I would not get a dialog * and * it would not use the single match.
That's the case I fixed.
Is there some combination of options that I missed?
In this version, unfortunately, still the error "Access key for 'From' field does not work" included. Might hang together with "Show SMTP menu"? This field shows the drop-down and that is located next to it.
Thanks for your first nice extension.
But I got a problem with spam gourmet here.
When I send an email to from my real account "real@account.com" the extension somehow puts a part of the newly (before) Vid created account in the From-field.
I. To put it simple.
I created a vid account. This is called "vidaccount.20.predomain gourmet.com @ spam". I used my real account for that "real@account.com"
Afterwards I wanted to send an email from my real account (without the vid newly created account).
What happened?
The recipient has this on the "from-field"
Prename LastName - real@account.com
Where is the bug?
Thanks a lot
To email me just use the given address without the spaces.
Sorry for that posting above
The recipient has this on the "from-field"
Prename LastName - real@account.com
Hell.
Sorry for the spam:
Prename LastName - real@account.com
and then
(Read it from above)
Seems I can not post the problem in this form here.
Please contact my via email.
Thank you very much.
Ok here's the point.
Firt you to create VID for your main account.
Later when you send normal mail from your main account one can see the account in the VIS-From-Behind Field between your name and your main account.
like from: Prenam LastName - main account
Search "vitual" and "Vitual" in your source code and add the "r"
It seems that having a comma in the name of your identity, gives trouble. I do not know if that's the extension or the server. If it's the server, you might want to advise against it in your extension.
you can not use a comma in the name of the identity. If you like to use a comma, than you have to use parenthesis to preventDefault Thunderbird from assuming that you separate two different addresses with a comma. For sure in this case only the first 'address' is used than.
I've been having some troubles with VID picking up my VIDs for awhile but never bothered to track them down. I spent some time on them today and think it is a bug. Below is an excerpt of the headers from the original email. Assuming I have any clue whatsoever I've only deleted useless ones. Below that is the VID debugging data. I'ev added a few comments preceded by "/ /" to what I think is happening. Please let me know if the comments are incorrect as it means I'm confused.
Thanks (and happy new year everyone),
- Neil
PS: All email addresses have been mangled to keep the spammers at bay. Assume my ViD is "joeuser@mydomain.com".
PPS: I think your site is broken. https://www.absorb.it/virtual-id seems broken giving me "Trac" internal errors about missing the module "Trac.web".
================================================== ==============
Headers of interest in the original email
================================================== ==============
Delivered-To: joeuser@mydomain.com
Return-Path:
Subject: Your Webinar Invitation: Join us for "Snowed In? Can not get to the office? Let CITRIX bring the office to you! "
Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:56:05 -0500
From: Frank ReplacedForPrivacy
To: Frank ReplacedForPrivacy
Return-Path: @ bogus-Frank.ReplacedForPrivacy bogosity.com
================================================== ==============
VID debugging data
================================================== ==============
/ / Start stuff
# # V_identity: replace MsgComposeCloseWindow
# # V_identity: adapt generic SendMessage
# # V_identity: NotifyComposeFieldsReady
# # InitReplyToFields identity.replyTo:
# # VI_smartIdentity: msgComposeType = 2
# # VI_smartIdentity Smart Reply ()
/ / Check for VID in address book
# # VI_addressBook: Search 'bogus-bogosity.com Frank.ReplacedForPrivacy @' in address books.
# # VI_addressBook: found 0 card (s) with matching email.
# # VI_addressBook: found 0 card (s) with matching email and Full Name.
# # VI_addressBook: @ bogus-Frank.ReplacedForPrivacy bogosity.com not found.
# # VI_smartIdentity: checked for Addressbook-Identities and found 0 address (es)
# # VI_smartIdentity: --------------------
/ / Strikeout in address book
/ / Now look for headers - Delivered-to should match as should "to"
# # VI_smartIdentity: reading header 'delivered-to'
# # VI_smartIdentity: reading header 'to'
# # VI_smartIdentity: reading header 'cc'
# # VI_smartIdentity: reading header 'x-original-to'
/ / Huh? 0 addresses? There should have been two.
# # VI_smartIdentity: 0 address (es) after parsing, before filtering
/ / Filtering should drop the "To" address and leave me with
/ / Just joeuser@mydomain.com VID.
# # VI_smartIdentity: filter emails, compare with '@ mydomain.com'
# # VI_smartIdentity: filtering done, 0 address (es) left
# # VI_smartIdentity: --------------------
# # VI_smartIdentity: merged Reply Smart & Address Book, 0 address (es) left
# # V_identity: NotifyComposeBodyReady
/ / No sadness - great sorrow
PS: Sorry - but I'm using 0.4.5pre have had this problem from earlier versions.
Hi Neil,
happy new year. I currently do not have the time to look at the problem, but surely in the next weeks. Please stay tuned. And, use the trac at https://www.absorb.it/virtual-id (okok, it was broken
) For further comments, just added your entry at https://www.absorb.it/virtual-id/ticket/31
Regards,
Rene
it seems like e very good web site but my English is not good. It would be great if it might be availible in other languages too. Thanks.
Hi,
maybe you have a look at the new Virtual Identity page. still in english, but more up-to-date. Sorry, no other language available.
Regards,
Rene